1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a reproducing apparatus for reproducing an information signal recorded on a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows in outline and by way of example a typical arrangement of the conventional FM (frequency modulation) recording type video tape recorder (hereinafter abbreviated to VTR).
Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional VTR is provided with a transport mechanism 21 for transporting a tape T which is a recording medium, an amplifier 22 arranged to amplify a signal reproduced from the tape T, a demodulation circuit 23 arranged to bring the signal outputted from the amplifier 22 back into an original audio signal, a muting circuit 24 arranged to remove any noise from the audio signal, a control part 25 arranged to control the transport mechanism 21, an instructing part 26 arranged to instruct the control part 25 and the muting circuit 24 to perform their actions, and an output terminal 27.
In the conventional arrangement, when the instructing part 26 issues an instruction for reproduction, the control part 25 initiates control to have a signal outputted to the amplifier 22 by causing the transport mechanism 21 to act. The instructing part 26 begins to count time when the instruction is issued to the control part 25 and instructs the muting circuit 24 to perform a muting action until a predetermined number is counted, so that neither audio signal nor noise, therefore, appear at the output terminal 27. When the count reaches the predetermined count number, the instructing part 26 sends out an instruction for canceling the muting action to allow an audio signal to be outputted from the output terminal 27. The muting time for which noises are to be suppressed is set at a length of time which is a little longer than a maximum operation stabilizing time determined by a mechanism part of the VTR and a control part performing control over the mechanism part. Therefore, generation of noises can be prevented as there is provided always a sufficiently wide time margin before canceling the muting action after stabilization of the reproducing operation of the VTR in whatever state that operation is.
However, since the muting time is set to be longer than a maximum length of time required before the travel of the tape T stabilizes in the conventional VTR, the above-stated time margin causes a delay in timing of obtaining sounds, in a case where the travel of the tape T stabilizes in a length of time shorter than the maximum stabilizing time. In such a case, a delay in outputting sounds after the commencement of reproduction results in an inopportune response.
It is a general object of this invention to provide a reproducing apparatus which is arranged to be capable of solving the above-stated problem.
More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a reproducing apparatus which is capable of reproducing an information signal by canceling a muting action in a minimum length of time after the commencement of reproduction.
To attain these objects, a reproducing apparatus arranged in accordance with an aspect of this invention to reproduce an information signal recorded on a recording medium in a recording-modulated state comprises reproducing means for reproducing a signal recorded on the recording medium, restoring an information signal by demodulating the reproduced signal, and outputting the restored information signal, muting means for muting the information signal outputted from the reproducing means, detecting means for detecting a level of a predetermined frequency component included in the information signal outputted from the reproducing means, and control means for controlling a muting action of the muting means on the basis of a result of detection provided by the detecting means.
It is another object of this invention to provide a reproducing apparatus which is capable of reproducing an information signal without generating any noise component signal within a minimum length of time after the commencement of a reproducing operation.
To attain this object, a reproducing apparatus arranged in accordance with another aspect of this invention to reproduce an information signal recorded on a recording medium comprises reproducing means for reproducing an information signal recorded on the recording medium and outputting the reproduced information signal, muting means for muting the information signal outputted from the reproducing means, detecting means for detecting a level of a noise component included in the information signal outputted from the reproducing means, and control means for controlling a muting action of the muting means on the basis of a result of detection provided by the detecting means.
These and other objects and features of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.